Article container having integral article protecting means



June 4, 1968 LOCK 3,386,570 I ARTICLE CONTAINER HAVING INTEGRAL ARTICLEPROTECTING MEANS Filed May 11, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 5 an 25 74 C82 3222 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH H. LOCK ATTORNEY June 4, 1968 J. H. LOCK 3,386,570 ARTICLECONTAINER HAVING INTEGRAL ARTICLE PROTECTING MEANS Filed May 11, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet :1

INVENTOR. JOSEPH u. LOCK "fin/am ATTORN Y United States Patent 3,386,570ARTICLE CONTAINER HAVING INTEGRAL ARTICLE PROTECTING MEANS Joseph H.Lock, Mableton, Ga., assignor to The Mead Corporation, a corporation ofOhio Filed May 11, 1966, Ser. No. 549,368 2 Claims. (Cl. 206--65)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sleeve type open ended wrapper is adaptedfor packaging tubular articles which are tapered and in which the toppanel overlies the upper ends of the packaged items. Sloping shoulderpanels are interrelated with the top panel in such a way that a part ofthe top panel overlies the upper ends of the packaged articles andelongated apertures are formed in the sloping panel and provided withinwardly projecting protrusions disposed in such a way as to preventinward movement of the upper ends of the packaged items. In order toform the package, the items to be packaged are spaced apart and theirupper ends inserted through the apertures following which the items aremoved toward each other as the sloping panels and side walls are foldeddownwardly following which the bottom lap panels are secured together.

This invention relates to an article container having integral articleprotecting means and more particularly to a tubular type open endedcontainer for articles arranged in two rows and is concerned withintegral means for preventing an article in one row from colliding withan adjacent article in the other row and to a method of forming such acontainer.

In certain known arrangemnets, inserts are incorporated in articlecarriers and such inserts are provided with cushioning panels interposedbetween adjacent a1- ticles so as to prevent undesired collisiontherebetween. An example of such an arrangement is the separate insertdisclosed and claimed in U.S. Patent 3,064,871 issued Nov. 20, 1962, onan application filed by Prentice J. Wood.

Other containers have been provided wherein abutment surfaces afiixed tothe container are disposed so as to prevent undesired collision betweenadjacent articles and US. Patent 3,006,530 issued Oct. 31, 1961, on anapplication filed by Homer W. Forrer discloses an example of suchstructure.

In still another arrangement, adjacent articles such as bottles, areprotected against collision with each other by means of apertures formedin the top panel of the carrier or container and such apertures arearranged to receive the necks of the bottles. By this means the bottlesare positioned in fixed spaced relation to each other and collisions arethus prevented.

Where the articles to be packaged are bottles having gently taperingneck portions, the provision of apertures in the top panel for receivingthe necks of the bottles is not feasible because the top panel is notprovided with well defined bottle shoulder portions on which to rest sothat the tension of the container or carrier is critical to the point ofundesirability. Of course where bottles having tapering necks are thearticles to be packaged, cushioning structure in the form of a separateinsert or integrally formed with the main portion of the container ICCis obviously undesirable because of the substantial space betweenadjacent bottles at the neck portions thereof.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an arrangement formaintaining the articles in one row in spaced relation from the articlesin another row and wherein the separating means is particularly welladapted for use in conjunction with bottles having tapered neckportions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved openended type container which is particularly well adapted for maintainingthe packaged items in spaced relation and which is unusually simple inits construction and arrangement.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an open ended orwrap around container or carrier with improved article separating meanswhich is adaptable for use in connection with articles having straightrather than tapered side walls.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedarticle carrier or container wherein means are provided for preventingthe articles from becoming dislodged through article receiving aperturesformed in the container and wherein the apertures are provided withmeans for maintaining the articles in spaced relation relative to eachother.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improvedmethod of forming a container of the type disclosed and claimed herein.

The invention in one form as applied to an open ended container orwrapper for a plurality of tubular articles arranged in two rows in sideby side rectilinear relation comprises a top panel arranged in overlyingrelation to the tops of the articles, a pair of side walls foldablyjoined to said top panel along opposite edges thereof respectively, abottom panel foldably joined along the opposite edges thereof to thebottom edges of the side walls respectively, the upper portions of theside walls being disposed in outwardly sloping relation to said toppanel with the top panel being substantially narrower than the bottompanel, a plurality of apertures formed in the sloping portion of theside walls and of inwardly converging configuration to prevent inwardmovement of the associated article. In one form of the inventioninwardly extending protrusions are formed along the side edges of saidapertures, the protrusions being disposed inwardly with respect to anarticle disposed in the associated aperture so as to form an abutmentsurface whereby inward movement of the articles is prevented and aspaced relationship maintained between the articles in one row and thosein the other row.

The method of forming the container comprises spacing the articles inthe two rows apart, placing the container blank over the articles withthe necks thereof in the container apertures and thereafter moving therows of articles toward each other as the container walls are foldeddownwardly and thereby to establish the desired relation between thearticles and the container whereby the two rows of articles are spacedapart.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of acontainer with a plurality of bottles packaged therein and whichembodies the invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank from which thecontainer depicted in FIG. 1 is formed; FIG. 3 is a perspective view ofa pair of bottles together with a fragment of the container structureshown in the position. which the parts occupy during the formation ofthe package depicted in FIG. 1 but before the package is completelyformed; and in which FIG. 4 is an end view of the package depicted inFIGS. 1 and 3 and showing the package in its completely formedcondition.

With reference to the drawings the numeral 1 designates a top panel inwhich a pair of finger gripping tabs 2 and 3 are formed. Tab 2 is struckout of panel 1 and is foldably joined thereto along fold line 4 whiletab 3 is struck out of top panel 1 and is foldably joined thereto alonga fold line 5. The openings defined by tabs 2 and 3 simply constitutefinger gripping apertures which are well known in the art.

Side walls 6 and 7 are foldably joined respectively to the side edges 8and 9 of top panel 1. A conventional tear strip generally designated bythe numeral 10 is formed in side wall 6 and a plurality of openings 11,12 and 13 are formed in side wall 6 while similar apertures 14, 15 and16 are formed in side wall 7. These apertures 11-16 simply provideopenings whereby suitable machine elements may enter and extend in atransverse direction relative to the package thereby to separate anadjacent article in one row from an adjacent article in the same row.Preferably the openings are identical in construction, Opening 11 maycomprise a pair of hingedly mounted flap elements 17 and 18 foldablyjoined along fold lines 19 and 20 to the side wall 6. Since theapertures 11-16 are identical in structure and since they form no partof this invention, a detailed description of each is omitted for thesake of simplicity and clarity.

The bottom structure of the package comprises a pair of lap panels 21and 22 which are interconnected with each other to form a compositebottom panel. Lap panel 21 is foldably joined along fold line 23 to thebottom edge of the sloping panel 24 which in turn is foldably joined tothe bottom edge of side wall 6 along fold line 25. Preferably aplurality of article receiving apertures 26, 27, 28 and 29 are formed inthe sloping panel 24 and serve to receive the bottoms of the packageditems in a manner well known in the art.

The lap panel 22 is foldably joined along fold line 33 to the bottomedge of sloping panel 31 which in turn is foldably joined along a foldline 32 to the bottom edge of side wall 7. Apertures 33, 34, 35 and 36are formed in the sloping panel 31 and like openings 26-29 serve apurpose well known in the art.

Once the lap panels 21 and 22 are arranged in flat face contactingrelation underneath the articles to be packaged, the wrapper istightened by suitable machine elements which enter the apertures 37-40formed in panel 21 and the apertures 41-44 formed in lap panel 22. Themachine elements associated with the tightening apertures formed in lappanel 21 move in a direction toward the corresponding machine elementsassociated with the tightening apertures 41-44. Thus as these elementsmove toward each other the wrapper blank is tightened and while held intightened condition the lap panels 21 and 22 are secured together bymachine elements which engage the locking tabs 45-49 and drive such tabsthrough the apertures defined by retaining tabs 50-54. In this mannerthe package is secured.

During the formation of the package, the medial separator panel 55,which is foldably joined to an edge of the lap panel 21 along fold line56, is folded upwardly and between the articles in the two rows ofarticles. Thus as is shown in FIG. 1, the panel 55 separates the bottomsof the articles B in one row from the bottles B in the other row.

As is apparent from the drawing, the top portion of the bottles B extendupwardly through apertures defined in the upper sloping portions 57 and58 of the side walls 6 and 7 respectively. In the drawings theseapertures are designated by the numerals 59-66.

In accordance with a feature of this invention and in order to preventthe top part of a bottle B in one row from moving toward the top part ofa bottle B in the other row, the side edges of apertures 59-66 are ofinwardly converging configuration along the inner portions thereof. Ifdesired a plurality of inwardly extending protrusions may be formedalong at least one side edge of each of the apertures 59-66. Preferablytwo inwardly extending protrusions are formed in each aperture. In thedrawings these protrusions are designated by the numerals 67-82. Ofcourse it will be understood that a single protrusion such as 67 couldsuflice for the aperture 59 and one or both protrusions in each opening59-66 could be eliminated if desired provided the apertures are properlyformed in relation to the article.

Thus in accordance with a feature of the invention and as is best shownin FIGS. 3 and 4, the entire extremities of protrusions such as 74 and82 are disposed inwardly of the axis of their associated bottles B sothat each bottle in each row is spaced from the adjacent bottle in theother row. Of course it is essential that the width of narrow top panel1 be such that the side edges of this panel are disposed inwardly of theaxes of bottles B as is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 4.

In accordance with another facet of the invention, the bottles B areprevented from dislodgement upwardly through the apertures 59-66 by aplurality of tabs 83-90 which are formed along the edges of the toppanel 1 and which are disposed in general coincidence with theirassociated bottles. As is apparent from FIG. 2 each tab in effect istaken from its associated aperture. For example tab 86 in effect istaken from aperture 62.

The improved method of this invention is best illustrated by FIGS. 3 and4. In FIG. 3 the articles B are shown spaced apart with the upper endsof the articles disposed within the apertures 62 and 66. As theoperation progresses, the articles B are moved toward each other whilethe side walls including the upper portions 57 and 58 thereof are foldeddownwardly. By this procedure the proper relation between the apertures62 and 66 and the articles B is established and the two rows of articlesare held apart. Of course the elongated shape of the aperturesaccommodates the initial spacing and inward movement of the articles Band also accounts for the snug holding action as depicted in FIG. 4. Ofcourse the protrusions such as 74 and 82 are properly oriented by thenovel procedure.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it will he understood that the invention is not limitedthereto and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all suchchanges and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope ofthe invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A container for a plurality of tubular articles having tapered neckportions and arranged in two rows in side by side rectilinear relation,said container comprising a top panel arranged in overlying relation tothe tops of the articles, said top panel being of such width that theside edges thereof are spaced inwardly from the axes of the articles ineach row, a pair of side walls foldably joined to said top panel alongsaid side edges thereof respectively, a bottom panel foldably joinedalong opposite side edges thereof to the bottom edges of said side wallsrespectively, said side walls having their upper portions disposed inoutwardly sloping relation to said top panel, a plurality of aperturesformed in said sloping upper portions of said walls for receivingportions of the upper ends of the articles respectively, the side edgesof each of said apertures being of inwardly converging semirigidconfiguration defining at least one inwardly extending protrusionengageable by the associated article, the entire inner extremity of eachof said protrusions being disposed inwardly of the axis of theassociated article so as to prevent inward movement thereof, and aplurality of tabs formed along the side edges of said top panel anddisposed in generally coincidental overlying relation with the tops ofthe articles respectively, said tabs being efiective to aid inpreventing upward dislodgment of the articles from the container andbeing struck from the upper parts of their associated openingsrespectively.

2. A container according to claim 1 and wherein said tabs are struckfrom the areas of said sloping upper portions of said side walls whichare immediately adjacent 10 the associated one of said protrusions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Cubberley 206--65 Warren 220-115X Stone 206-65 Wysacki 220-114 Conrades 20665 DONALD F. NORTON, PrimaryExaminer.

